Android
Google Maps gets EV-friendly updates, Android Quick Settings overhaul, and new Tensor chip plans for Pixel Watch

Google and Ford are collaborating to make Android Auto more EV-friendly, specifically for Ford’s electric vehicles (EVs). A series of new updates brings features like estimated battery levels, charging station navigation, and better integration with Ford’s Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning.
One of the key updates includes showing the battery level upon arrival at a destination directly in Google Maps, allowing drivers to plan trips more effectively. This feature has been available on Android Automotive systems and is now integrated with Android Auto, allowing users to see estimated battery status for every stop on a planned route.
Another useful addition to Android Auto is the display of charging stations compatible with North American Charging Standard (NACS) connectors, which include Tesla Superchargers. This update is available with the latest Android Auto version, 12.9, enabling more charging options for Ford EV users equipped with NACS ports.
Additionally, Ford EVs can now precondition their batteries en route to a charging station, ensuring efficient and faster charging upon arrival. Ford owners should update their vehicle software to access these improvements fully.
Other helpful tools include showing nearby amenities at charging locations and offering minimum recommended charge levels for various destinations, making long-distance planning more efficient.
Meanwhile, Android’s Quick Settings in the upcoming Android 16 could be seeing an overhaul, allowing users to resize tiles for a customized layout. This feature, which has been hinted at in recent Android betas, will offer options to adjust tile sizes in 1×1 and 1×2 formats, enhancing layout options for different user needs. The change might eventually separate Quick Settings from the notification tray, following a trend seen with other manufacturers like OnePlus and Samsung, who are expected to introduce similar customizations.
Additionally, a recent leak hints that Google is developing a custom Tensor chip for its Pixel Watch, potentially launching within the next few years. This shift could bring advanced features and longer battery life to future Pixel Watches, following Google’s trend of integrating Tensor chips in Pixel smartphones.
The proposed design includes a mix of Arm Cortex-A78 and Cortex-A55 cores, possibly built on TSMC’s 3nm process. While the design uses some older cores, the manufacturing process could still give it an edge over Qualcomm’s Snapdragon W5+ in terms of power efficiency and performance.
These updates reflect Google’s ongoing push to create a more connected and seamless experience across Android Auto, smartphones, and wearables, showing significant strides in software and hardware innovation.
Android
Android might soon alert you when your time zone changes

Traveling with an Android phone can be confusing when it comes to keeping track of time, especially on long trips. Your device automatically adjusts to different time zones, which is handy but can sometimes leave you unsure about the actual time. Imagine being on an airplane, where the time might switch several times due to the flight’s Wi-Fi, making it difficult to know how long you’ve been in the air.
To solve this, Google seems to be working on a new feature for Android. According to Android Authority, who took a peek at the Android 16 Beta 1, there’s a new setting in the works. This setting would allow you to get a notification every time your device changes its time zone automatically.
You’ll find this new option under the “Settings” menu, specifically in “System” and then “Date & time.” By turning this on, you’d get a little alert on your phone saying, “Hey, you’ve just entered a new time zone!” This would help you keep better track of time without any surprises.
There isn’t a confirmed release date yet for this feature, but it looks like it might make its way into Android 16. This update could make traveling a bit less confusing when it comes to managing your schedule across different parts of the world.
Android
Android 16 might alert you when your time zone shifts

One of the key roles of your smartphone is to keep track of time, and they do this job pretty well. By using information from your phone’s network, Wi-Fi, or GPS, your device can automatically adjust its time when you move to a different time zone. However, sometimes you might want to know right away when this happens, which is why Google is working on a new alert feature for Android 16.
While exploring the first beta version of Android 16, I stumbled upon some lines of code for a new “time zone change” option in the settings under System > Date & time. This feature is designed to notify you when your phone’s time zone gets updated automatically.
I managed to activate this setting in the beta. Here’s what it looks like:
I couldn’t show you the actual notification since I haven’t traveled out of my current time zone, but I know what it will look like. The notification will simply state that “your time zone changed” followed by details of your new time zone.
This is a simple yet useful addition because knowing when and how your time zone has changed can help you schedule meetings or make plans. It also saves you from having to check the settings manually when you need to adjust the time for apps like Outlook.
Handling time zones is not easy, but thanks to Google Play System Updates, Android phones can quickly adapt to new time zone data from the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA). With the various ways Android devices locate themselves, they are among the best for keeping the right time.
Though I found this feature in the Android 16 Beta 1, it’s not certain if it will make it into the final version. Features can appear in early builds but not in the official release. Given that Android 16 is expected to roll out in the second quarter of this year, we’ll know soon if this time zone notification feature will be part of it.
Android
New Feature: See through Live Captions on Android

Since the introduction of Expressive Captions last December, Android’s Live Caption feature now includes an option to adjust the background transparency on Pixel devices.
Before this update, captions appeared on a solid light or dark gray background, which could sometimes block parts of the screen. Now, with the new transparency setting, you can see what’s happening behind the captions. This makes the captions less intrusive and more user-friendly, allowing you to keep them on all the time if you wish. Some users even prefer having no background at all, just the text floating over the video.
How to Use Background Transparency
To turn on this feature, simply tap on the Live Caption panel to bring up the options menu. Look for the three dots on the right side, tap on them, and go to “Customization.” There, you’ll see the “Background transparency” switch alongside other settings like “Translate captions” and “Live Caption.”
This update was noticed today with the release of version V.16 of Android System Intelligence for Pixel devices. Check the Google Play Store to see if an update is available for your device. However, this feature isn’t available yet for Android 14 on non-Google devices.
This follows the earlier update in December that brought Expressive Captions to life, adding more emotion through uppercase letters for emphasis, sounds like sighs or gasps, and background noises like applause. This is currently available for US English on Android 14 and newer versions.
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